Panasonic this week launched its 2012 range of camcorders. This year, the company has trimmed its product line-up and dropped its hard disk-based models instead opting for non-moving flash memory. As can be expected, the Panasonic camcorder range has added a number of new features designed to capture user interest.
Canon has announced six new VIXIA-series camcorders. All of the units support HD resolutions up to 1080p, and rely on flash memory, instead of discs or hard drives. Three top-end models include the HF M52, HF M50 and HF M500, which together share 10x lenses and identical CMOS sensors, as well as 3-inch touchscreens, and the ability to record in MP4 format, a standard often used by iOS and other mobile devices.
Toshiba has launched the two new HD video cameras it showed at IFA last month, the Camileo X200 and Camileo X400. Both feature full HD recording with electronic image stabilization, a 3-inch touchscreen, and have HDMI-out. They also have on-camera editing and take 16MP (interpolated) stills. Onboard storage is 128MB, some of which is occupied by firmware, but can be expanded up to 128GB by a SD/SDHC/SDXC card.
Toshiba has expanded its Camileo series of camcorders with two new models, the P100 and B10. Both camcorders offer 1080p video recording, SD memory card slots, HDMI output and USB ports. The P100 brings 8X optical zoom, support for capturing 16-megapixel still images, and a three-inch touchscreen attached via swivel mount for flexible positioning.
Canon has unveiled eight new camcorders in its VIXIA line. Two main technology changes in the lineup include the introduction of the 1080p-capable HD CMOS Pro Image sensor, which measures about a third of an inch and uses larger, more sensitive pixels said to improve dynamic range and low-light performance. All of the cameras have dual SDXC slots, significantly increasing potential storage space.
Casio has accidentally slipped information surrounding its latest camcorder, the Tryx, which was spotted in advertisements on the Las Vegas Convention Center ahead of CES this week. The camera appears to be built with a unique housing featuring dual hinges.
Gazelle, a company that pays cash to reuse and recycle consumer electronics (what they call "ReCommerce"), has issued its 2010 forecast for the holiday season -- based on an analysis of what their customers are trading in -- and finds a trend of upgrading as much as buying new this year. The company predicts breakout sales for set-top boxes like the new Apple TV and Boxee devices, tablet and e-reader devices and significant upgrading to the latest versions of video games, mobile phones and camcorders.
Panasonic is using CES to reveal six new camcorders, split evenly between HD and standard-definition models. The HD cameras include the HDC-HS60, HDC-TM55 and HDC-SD60. All three are equipped with 25x optical zoom, and now have the option of powered image stabilization, said to reduce vibration five times better than was possible with earlier Panasonic technology.
Sanyo has announced a pair of new camcorders in its Xacti series, the VPC-SH1 and the VPC-CS1. Both are defined as "dual" cameras, capable of capturing both stills and video. The SH1 supports 30x zoom, 1080p video, and stills extrapolated from 4 megapixels to 10. Videos are saved as MPEG-4 H.264 files on SD cards, including Eye-Fi models and the forthcoming SDXC format.
Canon has announced nine new camcorders in its VIXIA line, based around flash storage. Each new model relies on a CMOS sensor and a DIGIC DV III processor, which have together been improved this year to reduce noise and display better blues and purples. Image stabilization has likewise been upgraded with a Powered mode, and new touchscreen displays can be tapped to select a subject and track it automatically.
Moyea has announced a new conversion utility for camcorder users, the Moyea MOD Converter. The software converts MOD files generated by JVC, Canon or Panasonic digital camcorders to QuickTime, as well as other popular video formats including AVI, DV or MPEG. The results can be played on most Apple hardware, and edited in iMovie, Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro.
As camcorders continue to shrink, so has the venerable teleprompter -- to the size of an iphone. Bodelin Technologies has created an iPhone app and several accessories that turn an iphone or iPod Touch into a teleprompter.
Today's DealNN deals include a variety of GPS units, external hard drives, digital camcorders and more. First up is the Magellan Maestro 3200 GPS unit. It is regularly priced at $149.99, but for this week only it is reduced to $94.99. Features include a 3.5-inch color touchscreen display, turn-by-turn voice guidance and SmartDetour that automatically navigates out out traffic jams or stopped freeway traffic.
Canon launched its 2009 VIXIA line this year at CES with several storage options that range from pure flash to hard drives to MiniDV. The line-up includes the HF S10, a 32GB internal flash memory camcorder with an external SDHC slot, the HF S100, the HF S10's cousin which lacks the internal flash memory, using only an SDHC slot for storage, the HF20, offering 32GB internal flash memory and an SDHC slot, and the HF200 is similar to the 20 without the external SDHC slot. All four flash-based models get built-in face detection, which alerts the auto-focus mechanism to track people's faces and they all record at 24Mbps, the fastest bitrate possible for the AVCHD format.
Sony has announced a a variety of new camcorders, divided into hard drive-, flash- and DVD-based models. The hard drive models consist mainly of the HDR-XR520V, 500V, 200V and 100. Equipped with a CMOS sensor and a supplementary Memory Stick slot, each is capable of recording 1080p video and 12-megapixel stills; the 520V incorporates a 240GB hard drive, able to hold as much as 101 hours of video. The camera additionally includes a built-in GPS receiver for geotagging, and optical image stabilization.
Just ahead of CES, Sony took the opportunity to unveil two new cameras designed to capture and upload MP4 video and photos directly to the Web. The MHS-CM1 and MHS-PM1 Webbie HD cameras capture high-definition video (1440x1080/30p) and 5-megapixel still photos and automatically connect to websites via USB connection to your PC> The software makes it possible to quickly upload content online in a few simple clicks. Sony offers two portable designs in three colors—-eggplant, orange and silver.
Samsung Electronics has extended its line of full-HD digital camcorders with four new models - the HMX-H106, HMX-H105, HMX-H104, and HMX-H100. In addition to full HD video, the new H-Series offers a renowned Schneider Kreuznach Varioplan HD lens with Optical Image Stabilization, H.264 and internal Solid State Drives to provide onboard memory. Samsung's new flagship HMX-H106 features an internal 64GB Solid State Drive (SSD), increasing both write performance and dramatically reduces power consumption. The company claims that when actively reading and writing data, Samsung's SSD technology consumes approximately 1/8th of the power of a comparable HDD.
Flip Video on Tuesday announced a partnership with CafePress to offer customers a no-cost option of creating their own exterior color designs for Flip's Flip Mino camcorder. CafePress, which specializes in selling custom designs on products ranging from to coffee mugs to t-shirts, will allow users to create, share and sell designs for the camera. Users who upload their designs can then earn commissions for themselves based on sales, or donate them to non-profit causes.
Sanyo has launched its compact, lightweight Xacti HD1010, a full 1080i high-definition digital camcorder featuring "Face Chaser" face detection technology for both video and stills as well as a new slow-motion video mode at 60 fps and seven frames-per-second sequential shooting for action photography. The HD1010 features a 10x all-glass optical zoom, image stabilization, and a large 2.7-inch LCD; it takes 1920x1080 video at up to a slow-motion 300fps and 4-megapixel digital still images and records both to SD memory cards or SDHC cards up to 32GB.
In order to complement its HD camcorders, Panasonic has announced two standard-definition cameras, the SDR-SW20 and SDR-S7. The SW20 is dustproof, waterproof to a depth of five feet, and also shock-proof, albeit only to a height of four feet. It records to SD and SDHC cards up to 16GB in size, which at peak capacity allows for 13 hours and 20 minutes of video. The lens features 10x optical zoom, and the LCD display measures 2.7 inches.
Moving beyond the home theater sphere at CES, Panasonic has announced two new camcorders, the HDC-HS9 and SD9. Both are capable of recording AVCHD video at 1080p and 24fps, and are also equipped with 3CCD sensors and optical image stabilization. Onboard software detects faces automatically, and also analyzes situations for shooting problems; should it find any, it suggests corrections like better lighting or slower panning. Sound is recorded in 5.1 channels using five separate microphones, and output can be displayed on HDTVs using an HDMI cable.
In its second major wave of CES announcements, JVC has pulled the wraps off several new camcorders, and a collection of DVD/VCR combo devices. The camcorders are led by the 7.4-megapixel Everio GZ-MG730, which holds a 30GB hard drive, and uses a CCD sensor with a primary color filter. The main feature is said to be its double-use as a still camera, since it not only incorporates flash, but also shutter and aperture priority modes, exposure bracketing, backlight and spotlight compensation, and a histogram view.
Another Samsung product making an appearance at CES is the SC-HMX20C, a new digital camcorder. Unlike many such devices the 20C plays host to built-in flash memory, amounting to 8GB; this works in addition to any SDHC/MMC+ cards inserted into the camera. Video is recorded on a 6.4-megapixel CMOS sensor with electronic image stabilization, and is generally captured in 1080p at 30fps. The camera is also able to capture at 300fps in 10-second bursts, allowing the creation of slow-motion sequences.
Budget electronics maker DXG has released the DXG-566V HD (not pictured), its first entry-level HD camcorder. The 566V is a five megapixel model, and supports HD resolutions up to 720p at 30fps, and D1 resolutions up to 720x480 at the same framerate. Highlights includes a three-inch LCD, support for both SD and SDHC cards, and the ability to shoot stills (with LED flash) at an eight-megapixel resolution.
Reflecting the budget nature of the camera, however, stills are interpolated at that resolution, and there is no optical zoom -- camera owners must instead fall back on 2x digital magnification. The 566V HD is on sale now for $150.
Offering a preview of its first camera for 2008, JVC today unveiled the Everio GR-D850. The widescreen DV camera is designed primarily for those with small hands or newcomers turned away by the large grips of other camcorders; compared to the outgoing D750, the new model is more compact overall and 0.8 inches shorter, JVC says. Pressing an Auto button also hands over nearly all control over shooting to the camera, adjusting the picture quality and other picture settings on the fly. Its 2.7-inch wide LCD also auto-dims in low light.
